Methamphetamine use among substance use disorder treatment populations

Introduction

Recent data shows a sharp rise in methamphetamine use, particularly among specific racial and ethnic groups, with higher rates in males and certain age groups, alongside varying impacts based on education and income levels. Till date, there remains dearth in the literature among New York State population. This study examined the sociodemographic factors associated with methamphetamine use and its impact on treatment outcomes.

Method

The Treatment Episode Dataset-Discharge (TEDS-D) from 2016 to 2020 were analyzed to investigate methamphetamine use, focusing on demographic variables. The analysis involved descriptive statistics, frequency distributions, and bivariate chi-square tests to explore relationships, as well as bivariate and multivariate logistic regression. All statistical analyses were conducted using SAS 9.4.

Results

10.84 % of participants were aged 12–24 years, while gender indicated a predominance of males, representing 73.44 % of the study population. Rehab patients have statistically significantly higher odds of methamphetamine use as than patients in Ambulatory/ Intensive Outpatient treatment (Adj OR- 1.21; 95 % CI- 1.15,1.26), while Detox patients have lower odds of using methamphetamine as than patients in Ambulatory, Intensive Outpatient treatment, however this was not statistically significant (Adj OR-0.35; 95 % CI- 0.11, 1.10). Intravenous drugs have 1.5 times higher odds of methamphetamine use as than non-intravenous drug use (Adj OR- 1.5; 95 % CI - 1.42, 1.54).

Conclusion

The study identified significant sociodemographic differences influencing methamphetamine use and treatment outcomes among this population. Addressing these factors with focused, culturally sensitive, and socio-economically mindful interventions can improve treatment effectiveness and aid recovery across diverse groups.